title: Linking Canadian population health data: maximizing the potential of cohort and administrative data.
abstract: Linkage of data collected by large Canadian cohort studies with provincially managed administrative health databases can offer very interesting avenues for multidisciplinary and cost-effective health research in Canada. Successfully co-analyzing cohort data and administrative health data (AHD) can lead to research results capable of improving the health and well-being of Canadians and enhancing the delivery of health care services. However, such an endeavour will require strong coordination and long-term commitment between all stakeholders involved. The challenges and opportunities of a pan-Canadian cohort-to-AHD data linkage program have been considered by cohort study investigators and data custodians from each Canadian province. Stakeholders acknowledge the important public health benefits of establishing such a program and have established an action plan to move forward.
authors.affiliation: Public Population Project in Genomics and Society, Montreal, QC, Canada. ddoiron@p3g.org
authors.forename: Dany
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doiron
authors.forename: Parminder
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raina
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fortier
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D008498:Medical Record Linkage / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Medical record linkage; data collection; public health